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Who waits in a line 70 yards long for a hot dog? The answer is a lot of people in the Dayton area, as long as they are waiting for a Zombie Dog. In fact, with over 16,000 “Likes” on Facebook, this food truck is nothing short of a phenomenon! Since Food Adventures with Big Ragu and the Crew are frequent visitors to this traveling delight, we decided to spread the word amongst our foodie readers! Hungry Jax even marked this territory as one of her “Top Five Eats in Dayton” so no one has had more Zombie Dogz than us …

With Halloween approaching and The Walking Dead Zombie show starting back up, it is the perfect time for a Zombie Dogz Food Adventure article!

HERE’S THE SKINNY:

— Zombie Dogz is a food truck that takes hot dogs to a gourmet level with their unique toppings and handcrafted side dishes.

— Mom and pop establishment founded in 2012 by David and Lee Ann Van Artsdalen. They recently welcomed the newest member of their family this spring, baby Barrett Axel!

— Budget friendly at only $6/dog, you’ll be able to feed your own pack a hot dog that’s been grilled, tucked into a grilled bun and topped with combinations that will make you howl in delight!

The Van Artsdalen Pack” – Lee Ann, David and Baby Barrett Axell

— Not a carnivore? No worries! They offer tofu dog’s as a substitute.

—In the “ZD” logo, you’ll see the silhouette of David and Lee Ann’s dog, “Gauge”! He even has a Zombie Dog named after him, the “Killer Gauge”.

Zombie Dogz offers up hot dogs that will surely make you salivate! You can find a full menu on theirwebsite, however they rotate it weekly to offer a wide variety. To see what Specialty Dogz are offered this week, and to stay on top of their latest creations, tune into theirFacebook page HERE. They have so many delicious dogz, that it’s hard to nail it down to a few faves….. but we did. Here are our top dogz aka Must Eats !!

MUST EATS:

— CALLING IN DEAD: There’s nothing dead about this dog. An all beef hot dog topped with a creamy homemade white truffle mac & cheese and finished off with crumbled crackers. It’s your childhood in a bun…. but better.

— THE DEAD DIXIE: This pup is covered in diced green apples, applewood smoked bacon, blue cheese crumbles and their signature bbq sauce! A great way to eat all of your food groups in just one bun!

— THE GERMANATOR (DAYTON OKTOBERFEST SPECIAL): Topped with a braised beef brisket, crispy fried onions and a homemade beer cheese. This dog would surely satisfy the appetite of a former Governor of California!

“Calling in Dead”: Your childhood in a bun.

— NEW DOG #2: It’s not uncommon for one of their new masterpieces to debut nameless. Zombie Dogz enlists their Facebook followers to take part of the naming process! This dog debuted at Oktoberfest as well. Topped with apple cider braised carnitas, spiced apples, arugula, butternut squash puree, and a sage crumble. It is simply Autumn deliciousness, with toppings Chef House can appreciate.

— THE NIBBLER:- An American classic turned Zombie! This is their take on a coney is topped in homemade chili, diced red onions, mustard, and muenster cheese. The King likes to tear into these like a dead walker into fresh meat!

— KILLER GAUGE – Named after their beloved dog, this hot dog is topped with a buffalo chicken dip, celery bits, blue cheese and ranch.

Honorable Mention: THE GRANDE ZOMBE: Pronounced “Grand-ay, zom-bay,” this spicy little number includes queso sauce, shredded lettuce, cilantro sour cream, and crushed corn chips. We like to heat up the night with this graveyard favorite. Also, check out Big Ragu’s favorite, the dessert Zombie Dog called the “RED ROCKET” which is a banana in a bun covered with peanut butter powder, stawberry jelly, white chocolate chips and pop rocks !

**** IMPORTANT: Not every one of these Zombie Dogz are offered all the time. They typically offer a few choices and rotate those throughout the year. David and Lee Ann are always coming up with new flavors, so stay tuned.

“Dead Dixie”: Bacon, Apple and Blue Cheese Bliss.

From festivals, to food truck rallies, horror conventions, Oktoberfest or special single appearances, Zombie Dogz delivers the goods. Our advice when they are around .. GET THERE EARLY, because this food truck is anything but dead. They are easily the most popular food truck in Dayton. Is it the Zombie Name? Is it the one of a kind, unique toppings? Is it the reasonable prices? The great customer service? For us, it’s all of the above!